Support for coiled cables or the like



Jan. 8, 1963 '5. J. KNAPP SUPPORT FOR COILED CABLES OR THE LIKE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. J

Filed Jan. 25, 1961 Jan. 8, 1963 s. J. KNAPP 3,

SUPPORT FOR comm CABLES OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. 25, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR.

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United States Patent Ofifice 3,72,358 Patented Jan. 8, 1963 3,072,358SUPPORT FOR COILED CABLES OR THE LIKE Stanley J. Knapp, La Grange Park,111., assignor to Joseph T. Ryerson & Son, Inc., Chicago, 111., acorporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 25, 1961, Ser. No. 84,846 7 Claims.(Ql. 242-129) The present invention relates generally to a support orrack for a coiled elongated member and more particularly to a rack forheavy cable assemblies or the like.

In the manufacture of stressed concrete beams, for example, one or moreheavy cable assemblies are placed in the mold for the beam and the cableis held under external tension while the concrete is poured and sets.After the concrete sets and forms a unitary structure with the cableassembly, the external tension on the assembly is released, whereuponthe assembly exerts a continuous stress on the concrete.

The cable assemblies used in the manufacture of stressed concrete aregenerally made by steel fabricators and shipped in a coiled form. Thecable assemblies are commonly used at the job site. Thus, there often isa considerable amount of handling of the cable assemblies involvedbetween fabrication thereof and the actual use at the job site.

Heretofore, the usual method of packing and shipping a cable assembly ofthe type under consideration has been to tie or strap a coiled cableassembly to a wood skid comprised essentially of a wood cross frame.These skids occupy considerable floor space and are quite cumbersome toship and handle. It is also uneconomical to return the cumbersome skidsto the steel fabricators for re-use.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide animproved support for a coiled member which is sturdy and durable, whichoccupies a minimum floor space, and which can be conveniently handledduring shipping to and at the job site.

It is also a specific object of the present invention to provide animproved supporting structure for a cable assembly used in thefabrication of stressed concrete.

Other objects of the present invention will be apparent to those skilledin the art from the following detailed description and claims to followwhen read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein;

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a support which incorporates oneembodiment of the present invention with a cable assembly mountedthereon;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the support of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the support of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing a combination oftwo superimposed supports; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIG.4.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the invention comprises a post assembly and aplurality of rack assemblies adapted to be stacked thereon. The postassembly has a center post 10, preferably of a hollow, tubular form andsquare 'in cross section, and a centrally apertured base 11 which issecured around the lower end of the post so as to provide a flange forsupporting the post 10 in a vertical position and also for retaining thestacked rack assemblies on the post. The base 11 can be of any desiredsize or configuration but in every instance should be sufficiently largeto maintain the post 10 in a vertical posi- The upper end of the post 10is closed by a plate 14 which has an upstanding square stud member 13secured thereto, as by welding, with the stud member 13 having anexterior dimension slightly smaller than the inner dimension of the post10 to permit insertion of the stud member 13 of one post into theapertured base 11 and hollow lower end of another post, as will bedescribed hereinafter. The stud member 13 is also provided with atransversely extending bore or passage 15 adapted to receive a fasteningmember, such as a bolt 16, and which together provide a securing meansadjacent the upper end of the post 10. A lift means, such as a lift cap17, is mountable on the end of the stud 13 and is held connectedtherewith by the fastener member 16 extending through passage 15. Thelift cap 17 preferably has a square recessed body section of slightlylarger dimensions than the stud member 13 over which it is mounted andcan be readily fabricated by casting or, if desired, by outseam weldingfor rectangular side plates 19 together and welding a top plate 20 tothe upper edges. The ends of an inverted U-member 23 are welded to theupper surface of the top plate 20. Two of the oppositely disposed sideplates 19 are apertured, as at 24, to form a transverse passagetherethrough which coincides with the bore 15 in the stud 13 to receivethe bolt 16 when the lift cap 17 is seated on the stud member 13.

Removably mounted over the post 10 is a specially designed supportingrack or cross-frame assembly 23 which is adapted to support a coiledmember, such as a coiled length of heavy cable 29 having its endssecured by straps 26. The rack 28 is formed of superposed, lower andupper cross-frame members 30 and 31, respectively, in interlockingengagement with each other and slidably mounted on said post memberwhile being restrained against relative rotary movement. The lowercross-frame member 39 is preferably formed of two angle irons 32 whichare held apart in spaced parallel relationship a distance slightlygreater than the Width of the post It) by a plurality of longitudinallyspaced bars 33 which are welded or otherwise secured to the angle irons32. Two of the bars 33 are centrally disposed with respect to the angleirons 32 and are spaced a short distance apart to provide a guideway 33aslightly wider than the width of the post ltl so that the cross-framemember 39 can be readily slidably mounted over the post 10 and lowereduntil the lower surface thereof engages the base 11 or the upper surfaceof an underlying rack 28 which has been previously mounted on post 10.Secured to the upper surface of the cross-frame member 30 are a pair ofupright symmetrically disposed cable-engaging arms 34 spaced inwardlyfrom the ends of the cross-frame member 30 and equidistant from thelongitudinal axis of the post 10. The arms 34 are preferably curvedinwardly toward the said post 1!) and can be readily made from one-halfof a section of circular steel tubing.

The upper cross-frame member 31 comprises a pair of elongated memberseach formed of two oppositely extending angle iron sections 35 and 36 ofequal length having the inner ends 35' and 36, respectively, spaced adistance slightly greater than the width of the lower frame member 34The angle iron sections 35 and 36 are joined by two transversely spacedlongitudinally extending bridging sections 39 Welded to the uppersurfaces of sections 35 and 36 adjacent the ends 35 and 36' andextending upwardly a distance at least equal to the height of the arms34. The pair of angle irons 35 and the pair of angle irons 36 are heldin spaced parallel relationship by means of spacer bars 40 and 41 whichare welded or otherwise joined to the oppositely disposed angle irons.The spacer bars 41 extend upwardly above the angle irons 35 and 36 andare also welded or otherwise secured to the bridging sections 39. Thebridging sections 39 are further joined by spaced guide members 42 whichare centrally disposed with respect to the cross-frame member 31 and arespaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width of the post 10.The upper cross-frame member 31 also has secured to the upper surfacethereof a second pair of upright symmetrically disposed cable-engagingarms 43 spaced a short distance inwardly from the ends thereof and thesame distance from the post as the arms 34.

As seen in FIG. 1, when the cross-frame members 30 and 31 are slidablyplaced over the post 10 with member 31 overlying member 30, the ends 35and 36 of member 31 embrace the outer lateral edges of the angle irons32 of member 30 so as to retain the frame members in interlockingengagement and the lower edges of the bridging sections 39 will besupported on the frame member 30 so that the upper surfaces of framemembers 30 and 31 are aligned. The lower frame member 30 is supported bythe flange or base 11 which is also large enough to span the gap in theframe member 31 so as to support the spaced ends 35', 36 of the angleirons forming the frame member 31. The cable-engaging arms 34 and 43,which are spaced circumferentially about 90 degrees, and the outwardlyprojecting ends of frame members 30 and 31 provide a rigid support forthe coiled cable assembly 29 which is lowered into position on the rackand is retained in centered relation by the arms 34 and 43.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, when a second cross-frame assembly is placedover the post 10 superposed on the first cross-frame assembly, thebridging sections 39 of the lower assembly, together with the arms 34and 43 thereof, serve as vertical spacers which support the lower edgesof the superposed upper assembly. In the form shown in the drawings, itis possible to stack or arrange as many as four cross-frame assemblieson the post 10. The length of the post 10 will, of course, determine thenumber of cross-frame assemblies which can be supported on the post 10.

As also shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the lower apertured end of a second post10a can be telescoped over the stud 13 at the upper end of the firstpost 10 to form a multiple unit assembly, where it is desirable toarrange, for example, more than four cable cross-frame assemblies over agiven floor space. When the lower post 10 is fully loaded with racks 28,the base 11a of post 10a rests on the upper edges of the bridgingsections 39 of the underlying cross frame 31. The posts 10 and 10a aresecured together by a fastener such as a bolt 44 which passes through anaperture 12a in the post 10a after the aperture 12a is aligned with thebore in the stud 13 of post It). After the post 10a has the desirednumber of crossframe assemblies mounted thereon, the lift cap 17 ismounted on the upper end of the post 10a by means of the bolt 16 asheretofore described, so that the assembly can be conveniently lifted asa unit for convenience of moving or uncoiling the cable assembliesmounted there- When a plurality of cross-frame assemblies arranged onone or a plurality of post members are suspended by means of a cranehaving a swivel hook engaging the lift cap 17, a cable assembly can bereadily uncoiled from a cross-frame member simply by pulling one end ofthe cable to rotate the support while it remains suspended by the swivelhook. If desired each individual crossframe assembly can also be removedfrom the post and placed on a special uncoiling table at the job site toremove the cable therefrom.

After the cable has been removed from a cross-frame assembly, the upperand lower cross-frame members 30 and 31 respectively are readily removedfrom the post 10, separated, and stacked in a side-by-side arrangementwith the posts to form a compact bundle for shipping to the cableassembly fabricators for re-use.

Others may practice the invention in any of the numerous ways which aresuggested to one skilled in the art, by this disclosure, and all suchpractice of invention are considered to be a part hereof which fallwithin the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A support for coiled articles comprising an upright post, a pluralityof cross-frames removably mountable on said post in stacked relation,means on each of said crossframes for retaining a coiled articlethereon, means at the lower end of said post for supporting a stack ofcrossframes on the post, and means at the upper end of said post forlifting the support, said lower end of said post having an axial openingand said upper end of said post having a reduced portion whereby a pairof posts can be detachably connected together by interfitting thereduced upper end of one post with the axial opening of the other post.

2. A support for coiled articles comprising an upright post ofnon-circular cross-section having a flanged base at its lower end andmeans for lifting the support at its upper end, and a cross-frameassembly removably mounted on said post in engagement with said base forreceiving a coiled article, said cross-frame assembly comprising a pairof elongated members having complementary non-circular central openingsadapted to receive said post in non-rotatable relation, said membershaving interlocking portions adapted to interfit in superimposedinterlocking relation when mounted on said post for retaining saidmembers in predetermined arrangement, and means on said members forretaining a coiled article in centered relation on the cross-frameassembly.

3. The structure of claim 2 further characterized in that said means forlifting the support comprises a lift cap detachably connectible to theupper end of said post.

4. A support for coiled articles comprising an upright post having aflanged base at its lower end and means for lifting the support at itsupper end, and a plurality of cross-frame assemblies removably mountedin stacked relation on said post with the lowermost assembly engagingsaid base, each of said cross-frame assemblies comprising a pair ofupper and lower elongated frame members adapted to be interfitted insuperimposed interlocking relation, said members having aligned guideopenings for centrally receiving the post in non-rotatable relation,spacer means on each of said upper frame members for engaging the lowerframe member of the overlying assembly, and upright retainers on saidmembers spaced outwardly from said post and inwardly from the ends ofsaid members for retaining a coiled article in centered relation on theassembly.

5. A support for coiled articles comprising an upright post having aflanged :base at its lower end and means for lifting the support at itsupper end, and a plurality of cross-frame assemblies removably mountedin stacked relation on said post with the lowermost assembly engagingsaid base, each of said cross-frame assemblies comprising a pair ofsuperimposed upper and lower elongated frame members, said upper framemember comprising axially spaced frame sections rigidly interconnectedby bridging means in offset relation with said sections whereby saidupper frame member is adapted to be interfitted in interlocking relationwith said lower frame member, said frame members having aligned centralguide openings for receiving said post in non-rotatable relation, saidbridging means extending upwardly from said upper frame member andproviding spacer means for engaging and supporting the lower framemember of the overlying assembly, and a pair of upright retainers oneach of said frame members disposed between said post and the respectiveends of the frame membes for retaining a coiled article in centeredrelation on the assembly.

6. A support for coiled articles comprising a plurality of upright postseach having a flanged base with an axial opening at its lower end and aportion of reduced size at its upper end such that the upper end of onepost is detachably receivable in the axial opening at the lower end ofanother post, detachable connecting means for interconnecting saidposts, a plurality of cross-frames removably mountable in stackedrelation on each of said posts with each stack being supported on theflanged base of its respective post, means on each cross-frame forretaining a coiled article thereon, and means adapted to be detachablyconnected to the upper reduced end of the uppermost post for lifting theentire assembly.

7. A cable supporting structure comprising a post assembly having firstand second post members, the lower end of said first post member beingaxially apertured to receive therein the upper end of said second postmember,

securing means for detachably connecting the interfitting lower end ofsaid first post member and the upper end of said second post member, aplurality of cross-frame assemblies slidably mounted on each of saidpost members with said cross-frame assemblies having a plurality ofspaced cable-engaging arms adapted to support thereon a coiled length ofcable, and lift means detachably connectable to the upper end of saidfirst post member for lifting the entire structure.

Mizuno May 26, 1925 Weaver Mar. 10, 1953

1. A SUPPORT FOR COILED ARTICLES COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT POST, A PLURALITYOF CROSS-FRAMES REMOVABLY MOUNTABLE ON SAID POST IN STACKED RELATION,MEANS ON EACH OF SAID CROSSFRAMES FOR RETAINING A COILED ARTICLETHEREON, MEANS AT THE LOWER END OF SAID POST FOR SUPPORTING A STACK OFCROSSFRAMES ON THE POST, AND MEANS AT THE UPPER END OF SAID POST FORLIFTING THE SUPPORT, SAID LOWER END OF SAID POST HAVING AN AXIAL OPENINGAND SAID UPPER END OF SAID POST HAVING A REDUCED PORTION WHEREBY A PAIROF POSTS CAN BE DETACHABLY CONNECTED TOGETHER BY INTERFITTING THEREDUCED UPPER END OF ONE POST WITH THE AXIAL OPENING OF THE OTHER POST.